Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 3,346, David Falkner, N.C.

SERVICE
NUMBER
NC
Falkner, David
S. 3,346
Born in N.C.
carded
CONTENTS
[Ruled lines for notes]
[Ruled lines for notes]
2

14062 East Tennessee
David Falkner of Knox Co in the State of Tennessee who was a private in the company commanded by Captain J. Garnett of the regiment commanded by Col. Wade in the Blount line for 1 year and 6 months
Inscribed on the Roll of East Tennessee at the rate of 60 Dollars      Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 2 day of Aug t and 1 st 1831 Knoxville
Arrears to the 4th of March 120.00 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 th Sep r 30.00 $150.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Dan Boyd Clerk Book 6 Vol. 7 Page 43

d Died July 19-1852. d A.B.

3 The certificate to this applicant will be directed to
W. B. S. Ramsey, Knoxville, Tennessee,

Declaration of David Falkner in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832 - State of Tennessee
Knox County 3 d Circuit Court for said County at August Session 1832
On the 18 th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable the Circuit Court of Knox County now sitting, David Falkner a resident of said County and State aged seventy two years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following decla- ration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832 - That about the 15 th of September in the year 1781 as well as he now recollects he entered the service of the United States as a drafted private - that he rendezvoused at Col. Thomas Wade's in Suran County North Carolina that he was drafted for six months, and was enrolled in a company commanded by Captain John DeGarnet - which company was at- tached to a Regiment of about 360 men under the command of the said Thomas Wade - Applicant states that the said Regiment marched from Col. Wade's, and crossed the Pigeon river at Hays Ferry about 20 miles above the Clinch hills - that the said Regiment marched on to Beatties Bridge on Drowning Creek - here while the said Regiment was crossing the Bridge they were fired upon by a company of British and Tories - and after exchanging several fires with the enemy, applicant states that he with about sixty four others were taken prison- er - Applicant states that himself and his fellow prisoners on the same evening were marched off to Wilmington, where they were all put on board a prison ship of the British, and kept there for about a month - at the expiration of this month applicant with his fellow prisoners were taken from the said ship and confined in the Presoot at Wilmington, where they were kept about two months, until on the approach of Genl. Mutherford with a considerable force, the British army took shipping and sailed away with applicant and his fellow prisoners to Charleston - Applicant states that on his passage away from Wilmington to Charleston being sea sick he fell through

the hatchway of the vessel and wounded his knee - on his arrival at Charleston he was placed in the Hospital at that place where he remained until he had so far recovered as to be able to go about - While in the Hospital applicant had been visited by two Scotch merchants of Charleston by the name of John Reed and John King with the view of getting applicant when he should get well to wait upon them and applicant states that when his knee got well he went and lived with the said Reed and King and continued to live with them about their store and house for no other compensation than his victuals and clothes until a few days before the British finally evacuated Charleston when he was exchanged at the quarter house and got a pass from some American officer and went home - applicant states that before he went out to the quarter house to be exchanged he saw the British engaged in hauling down their cannon to their vessels - applicant states that the vessel in which he sailed around from Wilmington to Charleston was called the snaw - applicant states that he served in the American army and was confined as a prisoner about eighteen months - that he was born in the State of North Carolina Chatham County in the year 1760 as well as he now recollects that his Father with whom he lived at the time he entered the service of the United States, had moved to Anson County N.C. about 2 years before that period, where applicant resided during the whole of the war and for four or five years afterwards, when he moved to Greenville District S.C. where he lived eight or ten years, when he moved in to Cooke County, Tennessee, where he lived about three years, when he moved into Jefferson County Tennessee, where he lived about one year, and then moved to the same neighbourhood in Knox County Tennessee where he has continued to live ever since - applicant states that he has no record of his age but from the information of his parents he believes he is as old as he states himself to be - applicant states

that he lost the pass which he got at the quarter house pretty soon after he reached home, which he thinks was sometime in the winter of 1782 - applicant states that he has no documentary evidence whatever of his service, and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services - applicant hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state
Sworn to and subscribed in his David X Falkner open Court this 18 th August 1832 mark
Wm Wren Clerk
State of Tennessee,
Knox County } We Martin B. Carter & William Davis - - *
residing in the County of Knox and State of Tennessee do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with David Falkner who has sworn to and subscribed the above declaration and have been so acquainted for many years - that we have reason to believe he is seventy two years old - that he is respected and beloved in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion; and we do further certify that we never have heard the fact doubted or contradicted that the said David Falkner was a soldier in the Revolution- ary war
Sworn to and subscribed in Martin B. Carter open Court this 18 th August 1832 Wm. Davis
Wm Wren Clerk
and the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department, that the above named applicant was a revo- lutionary soldier and served as he states, and the court further certifies that the said Martin B. Carter and William Davis

who have sworn to and subscribed the above certificate do re- side in Knox County, Tennessee, are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to credit.
J. POTTER, Judge of the Circuit Court of the State of Tennessee
I William Swan Clerk of the Circuit Court of Knox County, Tenn. do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of David Falkner for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and pri- vate seal having no official seal, at office this 23 rd day of August 1832
Will Swan Clerk
I Hugh L. White a Senator in Congress from the State of Tennessee do hereby certify that William Swan is Clerk of the Circuit Court for Knox County and being well acquainted with the hand writing of said Clerk I believe all the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are genuine
Hugh L. White
June 7 th 1833.
State of Tennessee Knox County Personally appeared before me J. A. C. Bootee an acting Justice of the Peace for said County David Falkner who has signed the foregoing original declaration who being sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following additional declaration in order to obtain the benefits of an act of Congress passed on the 5 th of June 1832. He states that he entered the service and was taken prisoner as he has mentioned in his former declaration - that he was taken to Charleston as then stated

he states that he cannot from the lapse of time and a consequent loss of memory relate with precision the times of his service - he feels confident however that it was two months after he entered the service before he was taken prisoner - he was then confined in a prison ship at Wilmington one month - he was then put into the Provost there, and confined two months - he was then put on board of a vessel and taken to Charleston and believes it was five months before he was able from his wound, to do any service - making in all ten months of service and captivity - he states that at the time he was taken from the Hospital to live with King and Reed - the British Officer in whose custody he was, restricted him to keep within certain prescribed bounds, allowing him to go about the store of said King and Reed and as far as the Pump for the purpose of getting water - this was all the liberty he had and the said King and Reed went his security that he would not go without these prescribed limits and that he should be delivered up when ever called for - he states that he considered himself all the time as a prisoner of war and was looked upon as such, and received no compensation for his domestic service but a few old clothes - he states that from the time he went to live with the said King and Reed to the time of his exchange was eight months, making his whole service and captivity eighteen months for which he claims a pension - he states that the reason why he did not get a clergyman's certificate to his former declaration was that there is now, and then was, no clergyman living in his neighbourhood - he states that the indi-

viduals who are acquainted with him in his present neighbourhood who can testify to his veracity and his reputation for performing services in the revolutionary war are Martin B. Carter William Davis, Wesley Lee and others
Sworn to & subscribed David his  Falkner  mark
before me this 31 st May 1833
Jac Boothe Justice of the Peace for Knox County
State of Tennessee
Knox County ss I Charles McClung clerk of the court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for said County do hereby certify that Jac Boothe is now and was at the time the above declaration was sworn to, an acting Justice of the Peace for said County - and being well acquainted with the hand writing of said Justice I believe the above signature purporting to be his is genuine
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and official seal this 1 st day of June 1833
Chas McClung By his Dep Wm Brown

October 25, 1939.
Mr. W. Wayne Smith 524 East D Street Moscow, Idaho.
BA-J/ILL Com David Falkner S. 3346
Dear Sir:
The data which follow were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, S. 3346, based upon service of David Falkner in the Revolutionary War.
David Falkner was born in the year 1760, in Chatham County, North Carolina, and moved with his father to Anson County, in that state, about two years before he entered service in the Revolutionary War. The names of his parents and day of his birth were not given.
David Falkner enlisted in the year 1781, served as a private in Captain John DeGarnet's company, Colonel Thomas Wade's North Carolina regiment, in about two months was in an engagement at Beattie's Bridge, in which he was taken prisoner and was carried to Wilmington; later, he was sent by ship to Charleston, during which voyage he wounded his knee severely in a fall, was confined to a hospital in Charleston and remained in captivity about eight months; after this, he was released and remained a prisoner of war until he was exchanged at the expiration of another eight months.
The soldier continued to reside in Anson County, North Carolina, four or five years after the Revolutionary War, then moved to Greenville District, South Carolina, and resided for eight or ten years, after which he moved to Cocke County, Tennessee, and resided about three years, moved to Jefferson County, Tennessee, and remained about one year, and moved then to Knox County, Tennessee.
David Falkner was allowed pension on account of his service

in the Revolutionary War on his application executed August 18, 1832, at which time he resided in Knox County, Tennessee. He made no reference to wife or children. The soldier died July 19, 1852.
In order to obtain the name of the person to whom the last payment of pension was made, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, this city, and furnish the following data:
David Falkner Certificate #19062 Issued August 2, 1833 Rate $60 per annum Commenced March 4, 1831 Act of June 7, 1832 East Tennessee Agency.
Very truly yours,
A. D. HILLER, Executive Assistant to the Administrator.

David Falkner
from 1780 prints 18 months $60.
W. B. A. Ramsey Knoxville Tenn

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Levi Faulkner which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? no V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? no VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? no VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yes no

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? no
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? no
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? yes
XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? yes
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? no
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? yes
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
†QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
The time that the applicant was on parole cannot be allowed. Should state how long he was a prisoner before he was suffered to go at large in Charleston.

Rev. War
3346 INVALID.
File No. 3346
David Falkner Rev. N.C. line
Act: June 7/38
Index:—Vol. A , Page 120
[Arrangement of 1870.]

1935- Aug. 19 - Hist. to Melinda Falkner - J.L.L. 1939: Oct. 25. Hist. to H. Wayne Smith - J.L.L.

Byron Georgia July 15, 1935
Pension Administration
Washington D. C.
Dear sir:
Will you please send me pension record of David Falkner of Knox Co. Tenn. He is in 1840 census of Pensioners in Tenn. He was 83 years of age. Will you please send me all information of his family possible.
Thank you so much
Melinda Falkner
15

October 25, 1939.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mr. W. Wayne Smith 524 East D Street, Moscow, Idaho.
BA-J/OC David Falkner S.3346
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Dudley Stephens of Virginia, and that of David Falkner of North Carolina and Kentucky.
There is no claim for pension on file based upon service in the Revolutionary War of a Dudley Stephens under any spelling of that surname. You are furnished herewith the Revolutionary War record of David Falkner as found in pension claim, S.3346.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator.

August 19, 1935.
Melinda Falkner Byron Georgia.
SA-J/ILL David Falkner S. 3348
Dear Madam:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of David Falkner, shown in the 1840 census of pensioners as of Knox County, Tennessee.
The record of David Falkner is furnished herein as found in the papers on file in his claim for pension, S. 3348, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
David Falkner was born in the year 1760, in Chatham County, North Carolina, and moved with his father to Anson County, North Carolina, about two years before he entered service in the Revolution. The names of his parents are not shown.
He enlisted in 1781, served as a private in Captain John DeGarnet's company, Colonel Thomas Wade's North Carolina regiment, in about two months, was in an engagement at Beattie's Bridge in which he was taken prisoner, was carried to Wilmington, was later shipped to Charleston, during which voyage he wounded his knee severely in a fall, was confined to a hospital after reaching Charleston, remained in captivity about eight months; after this, he was released, and remained a prisoner of war until he was exchanged at the expiration of eight more months.
After the war, the soldier resided in Anson County, North Carolina, four or five years, moved then to Greenville District, South Carolina, where he remained eight or ten years, then moved to Cocke County, Tennessee, where he resided about three years, after that moved to Jefferson County, Tennessee, and remained about one year, thence
Did not use. Left as engagement was in Mar 1781. (See Cradley)
O.K. Mrs. Finch

to Knox County, Tennessee.
David Falkner was allowed pension on his application executed August 18, 1832, at which time he resided in Knox County, Tennessee.
The soldier died July 19, 1852.
No reference was made to wife or children of the above noted soldier.
Very truly yours,
A. D. HILLER, Executive Assistant to the Administrator.

October 4, 1939
Veteran's Administration Revolutionary War Pension Section Washington, D. C.
Gentlemen:-
Does the Pension Records of Revolutionary Soldiers contain any helpful data regarding the Service and Family Record of these two ancestors of mine ?
Dudley Stephens, who served in Henry Co. Va. Militia at the Battle of Guilford Court House, N.C. in March 1781 ? He seems to have removed to Pulaski Co. Ky. He married Nancy Cornell, and left a family in Ky.
David Falkner or Faulkner, born in Chatham Co. N.C. served in the Rev. War, and removed to Knox Co. Ky. where he was petitioned He was born in 1760.
Please give me Military Records recounted in petitions for Pensions, and name of the wife of each of these if given and the names of children and other vital data about these two patriots, the first ancestor of my Mother the other on my Fathers side of the house.
Very Respectfully.
both of here
W. Wayne Smith W. Wayne Smith
524 East D St. Moscow, Idaho.